Metro pledges to adhere closer to track work schedule

Update (11 a.m.): Metro spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein said the work can start ahead of time if crews are in place early. Metro's announcement about the work warns that start times are subject to change, although the transit agency does send out alerts when that happens. Farbstein said in such cases, "it truly is a last-minute decision."

That isn't much consolation if youv'e planned your commute around the publicized start time. However, Farbstein said the people in charge of the maintenance work "have assured us that they will take greater care to start at 8 p.m. as per the schedule and as 'advertised' in our news release."

Original post: Red Line travelers planning their commutes around scheduled maintenance work may have been surprised the last couple of nights when single tracking between Medical Center and Grosvenor began early. The maintenance has been scheduled to start at 8 weeknights, according to a Metro press release.

On Monday, Metro sent out an alert at 7:27 p.m. that single tracking would start for the maintenance work. A traveler who thought he had left the office in time to avoid delays ended up spending 90 minutes on a ride that usually takes half that. On Tuesday, the same rider spent 75 minutes on the trip, noting with surprise the train operator's announcement at 7:40 that single tracking would begin immediately for 8 o'clock maintenance work.